HomeStewardshipCoast Guard and EPA to host event to hear public comment regarding upcoming national ocean policy

Coast Guard and EPA to host event to hear public comment regarding upcoming national ocean policy

Jun 8th, 2011 · Comments Off on Coast Guard and EPA to host event to hear public comment regarding upcoming national ocean policy

CLEVELAND – The U.S. Coast Guard and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency are scheduled to co-host an event Monday in Chicago to gather public input from the communities and economies that depend on and care for the nation’s oceans, coasts and Great Lakes.

The public comments collected during this “listening session” will assist the National Ocean Council as it implements a new “National Policy for Stewardship of the Ocean, Our coasts and the Great Lakes.”

Rear Adm. Michael N. Parks, Ninth Coast Guard District commander, has volunteered to be the federal co-lead for the Great Lakes Regional Planning Body. The listening session is the first step in a multi-year effort to protect the Great Lakes System of waterways and ensure people can continue to enjoy this national treasure for generations to come.

The session, the fourth of 12 scheduled across the nation and the only session in the Great Lakes region, will be held at the Ralph H. Metcalfe Federal Building at 77 West Jackson Boulevard, Chicago IL 60604. The session will run from 1-5 p.m., Central Standard Time. Click here for a list of all listening sessions.

Participants who attend the listening session in person will be able to submit written and verbal comments and questions. People who do not attend may also participate in the listening session through a webinar.

The listening session will begin with an overview of the strategic action plans, followed by two concurrent breakout sessions where in-person and webinar participants will be able to provide comments and ask questions about the outlines.

There is no charge to attend or participate in this event. However, advance registration is highly recommended and is available through the following webpage: http://www.glin.net/NOC-June2011/

The strategic action plan has nine priority objectives:

Ecosystem-Based Management: adopt ecosystem-based management as a foundational principle for the comprehensive management of our ocean, our coasts, and the Great Lakes

Inform Decision and Improve Understanding: increase knowledge to continually inform and improve management and policy decisions and the capacity to respond to change and challenges; better educate the public through formal and informal programs about the ocean, our coasts, and the Great Lakes

Coordinate and Support: better coordinate and support federal, state, tribal, local, and regional management of the ocean, our coasts, and the Great Lakes; improve coordination and integration across the federal government and, as appropriate, engage with the international community

Regional Ecosystem Protection and Restoration: establish and implement an integrated ecosystem protection and restoration strategy that is science-based and aligns conservation and restoration goals at the federal, state, tribal, local and regional levels